Karen McCollister

Karen McCollister

About Karen McCollister

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(3)

After cutting my teeth in political campaigns, I have pursued a career in education. I earned a master's degree in education leadership and transitioned to advocacy and public affairs work in the field of education. This work has included organizing high profile events, social media campaigns and websites to support STEM education and new education policies. I have also worked with a variety of organizations to award teacher grants, student scholarships and have been a frequent participant on education committees and workgroups with the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), University of Minnesota and the National Governors Association.

Don Smithmier

I'm the Founder and co-creator of Sophia and I love to create new things.
I have a deep passion for education and technology, and I spend a lot of time thinking about how they could come together more effectively.
I earned my bachelor's degree in U.S. History from the University of Wisconsin and my MBA from the University of Minnesota.
I'm also the proud father of three daughters who give me a lot of great feedback on how to improve Sophia.
I hope you'll send me your thoughts and ideas about Sophia. You can also feel free to share your thoughts on education, technology, American history (my personal passions are presidential and immigration history), music, songwriting, or baseball. I’d love to hear from you.
- Don

I teach at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, MN. I am a former middle school teacher in the St Paul Public Schools.
B.A. in Mathematics, Boston University, 1992
M.A. in Education, University of Michigan, 1994
Ph.D. in Mathematics Education, Michigan State University, 2005